Alleging that the ruling BSP had lost connect with its committedsupport base of Dalits, Janta Dal (United) chief, Sharad Yadav said onFriday that the industrial groups owned by JP and Ponty Chaddha wererunning the government in UP.

The JD (U) leader reached here to lead the poll campaign of his partyspoke to party workers in state capital and said that Chief MinisterMayawati had handed over nine percent of agricultural land in thestate to various industrial houses at cheaper rates which was likelyto cause food crisis in the country.

"The treatment that farmers, who were protesting forced acquisitionsand their displacement, got from the state government has only provedthat it was being run by two major industrial houses owned by the JPand liquor baron Ponty Chaddha," he said.

Stressing that the people of the state had got an oppurtune moment todislodge the anti-farmer and corrupt government, Sharad Yadav exhortedworkers to launch an aggressive poll campaign aimed at exposing thecorrupt practices and other misdeeds of the ministers of Mayawatigovernment.

Expressing concern over lack of issues in this election, the JD (U)chief said that after the release of the party's election manifesto inthe next two days the issues will be fasttracked in the campaign as itwas no ordinary election. "The election in UP was ultimately to betaken as semi-final to next Lok Sabha polls," said Yadav.

Targeting at the Congress for making tall claims in it visiondocument, Yadav said taht instead making new promises, the Congressshould first tell people what happened to its older promises like'Garibi Hatao' while it has single handedly ruled the country for thelongest time.

Taking a dig at Congress's achievement of extending quota tominorities out of OBC quota, Yadav said that the party has been usingreservation as a ploy to divide people. "In fact it have always beenanti-reservation, reflected in large number posts in central serviceslying vacant for long which were to be filled through quota," said he.Stressing the irrigation and erratic power supply were the biggestissues of UP, Yadav said that the JD(U) was contesting polls to becomean effective alternative to the political parties who are sideliningreal issues.

Emphasizing on the image and back ground of party candidates, he askedworkers to point out if any one with criminal background had succeededin getting election ticket from the party. Meanwhile, JP Singh, acandidate from Kundarki was expelled from the party as charges ofextortion against him were found to be true.